As I was at a conference, a doctor was speaking. Already, he had oiled his institution and programme in prestige. The arrogance metre was elevating. He was telling of how he had considered giving some pointers for the admission interview to a prospective student of the graduate programme of this particular doctor’s institution. Explaining why he chose not to do so, with the air of having received a revelation in his personal journey in life, he suddenly declared, “Because that would inject a bias!”. Whilst making this declaration, he cocked his head, jolted both index fingers into the air and even his buttocks from off his seat. I can’t say a normal person would have acted this way.

I have no quarrel with his decision nor his reasons behind it, but the way in which he recounted the event and turned it into an academic outburst is what raised the eyebrows. The whole incident was so prestigious.